During the second quarter of 2001, the New Jersey
Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, funded by the state's lawyers,
awarded $720,662.75 to clients for losses caused by 21 lawyers, the Board of
Trustees announced today.

The Fund's purpose is to pay on behalf of the honest
majority of lawyers for the wrongdoing of the few who are suspended or
disbarred for misappropriation.

The Fund was created by the New Jersey State Bar
Association in 1961, with voluntary contributions from practicing lawyers as a
commitment to high standards in the profession. In 1969, the Supreme Court
established an annual attorney assessment that now generates about $2.5 million
each year. In its 31 year history, the Fund has paid claims against 461
attorneys, approximately one-half of one percent of the 72,881 lawyers
currently licensed in New Jersey.

The Fund is administered by seven Trustees, five attorneys
and two public members, who serve staggered 5-year terms without compensation.
They are appointed by the Supreme Court to consider clients' claims and
make awards when it is determined that the loss was caused by dishonest lawyer
conduct, under Fund rules. Cases involving legal malpractice and negligence are
handled through Civil Court actions and fee disputes through the District Fee
Arbitration Committees established by the Supreme Court.

For a claim to be compensable, the attorney against whom it
is filed must have been a practicing member of the Bar at the time of the
incident, acting as either attorney or fiduciary; and must have been suspended,
disbarred or resigned from the Bar, or convicted or pled guilty to embezzlement
or other misappropriation of property.

An individual client can receive up to $250,000 ( for
claims arising after January 1, 1996, lesser amounts for claims arising prior
to that date) and the Fund can provide up to $1,000,000 in claims against a
given lawyer.

To receive a claim form, an individual must write to the New
Jersey Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, Richard J. Hughes Justice
Complex, 25 West Market Street, P.O. Box 961, Trenton, New Jersey 08625, or may
call (609) 292-8008. The form must be completed, notarized and returned with
copies of any proofs of the transaction. There is no filing fee. Claimants
assisted in their claims by practicing attorneys receive their representation
free of charge. Fund Director, Kenneth J. Bossong, welcomes inquiries regarding
the Fund's purpose and operation.